Life Goes On
by danniisupernova
Summary: Jaylee pairing. Post BDM. Darkness ensues. General angst Implied MalInara. FINISHED
1. Idiot

Kaylee was wondering when he would notice. If anybody else would notice. 'Leave it to me' Kaylee thought, 'to fall in love with an idiot.' She thought about the last six weeks: jetting from place to place, Serenity practically screaming in protest, all running, no rest, no work. And Zoe. Zoe was quiet all the time. No one hardly ever saw her but when they did it was like you were walking on eggshells. Kaylee couldn't imagine what Zoe felt like. Ever since Wash died she had just slipped further and further away from everybody.

Nothing had gotten much better since exposing the Alliance's secret. Simon had loosened up enough to be with her. Not that it had been everything she had cracked it up to be. Now all Simon did was irk her some. Even though River was on the mend, Simon was always busy or smothering her. And the man didn't know how to treat a girl, always criticizing as if he was so much better. So Kaylee decided she was pretty much finished with him: all the correction, the stiffness (or lack thereof in some cases) and arrogance. The man was just plain full of himself.

When she had come to that decision, she realized it wasn't just her or Simon driving it. It was something or someone else. It had caused her to hold onto Simon just a little bit longer, to feel her way out. Fact was Jayne had been looking at her in a way she liked. But she wanted to be sure.

Jayne was shook. It wasn't easy sittin by her at the table. Seein her sittin by that idiot doctor. God, the boy didn't know the first thing about how to treat a real woman. He kept treaten her like some core girl who didn't know the first thing about where she was stepping outside her house. Little Kaylee may have been small but she was tough, tought then she seemed, tougher than that gorram doctor for sure. The girl had survived Reavers, bounty hunters and Niska for God's sake!

Jayne wasn't sure where his protectiveness came from. He'd never been in love before and he couldn't say he was now, but he'd always been a mite possessive of Kaylee. He didn't stop to consider why; Jayne Cobb didn't pride himself on being a thinker, it wasn't to his nature. That gorram doctor though….


	2. Ocean

Chapter rating: PG 13

Disclaimer: I don't make the Barbies, I just play with em.

(sorry I forgot to do this on the first chapter)

Kaylee and Simon were sitting outside the infirmary talking. Well, Simon was talking and mostly over Kaylee.

"You can't just repair ships for the rest of your life. I mean Serenity is going to fall apart eventually and then where will you go? Don't you have any plans?" At this point Kaylee was near tears. He had been poking at the way she lived, her ship, her family, how she talked for near on two hours! She was about to point out that maybe if Simon didn't think about those things than maybe they wouldn't bother anybody. Before she could say anything a faint voice interrupted.

"You can't change the current." It was River in one of her less lucid states. The psychic put her ear to Kaylee's chest, right above her heart. "All ready the tides are pulling away from you. I hear the ocean," she murmured, turning to Simon. "But you're not the shore." With that, the girl turned and fled the room.

Simon was quiet for a moment. He finally turned to Kaylee and said "We have to talk."

Kaylee was sitting on the floor. All the feeling had gone from her legs. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there with her back against the wall when Zoe sat down next to her. She was sure she looked a mess; she had been crying for a while, her face felt sticky and red. Zoe didn't say anything.

"Simon left me." Kaylee whispered. Zoe didn't say anything. "He said that he wasn't in love with me anymore. He didn't say it right out loud but I could tell he never loved me." Zoe still didn't say anything. "But the worst part was that I was going to ditch him first. I just didn't get the chance." Kaylee started to cry again. Zoe put her arm around the girl and said "You'll be fine." She didn't smile.

"What the hell happened to you!" Jayne shouted. The merc was surprised as hell when he saw Kaylee's tearstained face. That gorram doctor had walked by only a moment before, looking a little serious if not his usual self.

"Jayne!"

Kaylee rushed into his arms. Jayne could feel her face, wet and hot, pressed into his chest. "Gorramit girl, get down in my bunk before somebody sees me!" Kaylee laughed. She clambered down the ladder into his bunk and Jayne followed. Kaylee sat on his bunk and fell silent. Jayne sat next to her. For a minute neither of them said anything. Then Kaylee burst out "He never loved me!" It was hard to tell if she was angry or just disappointed.

"Hell, girl I could've told you that." Kaylee just sat looking at her boots. Jayne pulled his flask out. "Have a drink with me."

They were both pretty drunk. The poor man's excuse for gin that had been in Jayne's flask loosened Kaylee's lips. "You don't even know the best part," Kaylee laughed. "I was going get rid o' that stuck up moron, piece of go se anyway!" Kaylee hiccupped and kept laughing. Jayne smiled. He was glad she was happy, if a little drunk. And why shouldn't she be happy? The whole reason she had been unhappy (at least according to her in drunken ramblings) was no longer her problem.

Kaylee yawned and stretched. She knew she was drunk, but she felt better. Maybe she had never loved Simon and it was just a sex thing. That sounded so ridiculous in her head that she started laughing all over again.

"What's so funny girl?"

Kaylee looked up into Jayne's face. He was smiling at her and that made her feel better. She was too drunk to care why, but it made her feel better than what Zoe had said. Then she realized she was getting wet just looking at him.

"Can you keep a secret Jayne?" Kaylee slurred.

"Nope, never in my whole life."

Kaylee giggled. "Well, I'll tell you anyway, Jayne Cobb." She leaned into the big merc. Here breath was in his ear and for a second Jayne felt like pulling her down on top of him and ripping open her shirt. He paused to think about this and ended up listening to her instead. Kaylee paused for a moment and whispered "Simon is horrible in bed." The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Gorramit Kaylee! I don't wanna know that!" Jayne laughed.

Suddenly Kaylee asked "Can I stay here tonight?" She blushed, realizing how that must sound. Jayne looked at her. "Well sure. I'll sleep on the floor and you can have my bed." It was, Jayne thought, one of the more gentlemanly gestures of his life.

"No, Jayne. Can't you stay here," she patted the bunk, "with me?"

"Kaylee, I ain't too sure what you mean."

"I just want you to sleep here," she patted the bunk again. "With me. Next to me."

Jayne was confused. "You mean just sleep?" he finally asked. "Yes." Kaylee said. Relief flooded her face when he nodded and shrugged.

Kaylee kicked off her shoes and took off her belt, dropping both on the floor. Jayne did the same and curled around her. "So," he said. "How exactly do you do this without sexin' first?"

"Well…usually, you just sleep the way we are, back to stomache." "Oh, okay."

A few minutes passed before Kaylee said "If it's such a big deal to have sex first, I don't mind." When Jayne didn't say anything she turned to look at him, but he was asleep his arm around her.


	3. Good Morning

Chapter rating: PG 13

Disclaimer: I just play with the Barbies, I don't make em. That would be the fabulous Joss Whedon!

Inara was roused from her sleep by the sound of her shuttle door opening. When she opened her eyes Mal was stepping in. She sat up. "Can I help you?" the companion asked irritably.

"Have you seen Kaylee? I need her to check over the engines."

"No, not since dinner last night," she replied. "Is that all?"

"Yes that's all," Mal said sarcastically. " I can't find her anywhere."

"Well this is a spaceship. It's not as if she got up and left in the night." Inara responded primly. She was aware of Mal's eyes on her. 'Nara wanted him to be looking at her but she wasn't sure of herself.

Losing no composure she cleared her throat and said "Have you checked below deck with Simon?"

"No, but I will." Mal turned and left.

Kaylee woke up. She was warm and hung over as hell. And someone was squeezing her tits. Jayne. Her head hurt but she smiled. For once she felt like she was in the right place, spooned into this big idiot. She turned over, her forehead under his chin and fell back asleep.

Zoe was sick. She was puking half the night. That gorram food! She wished she had something fresh to eat. She wanted tangerines…and noodles. And maybe an ice planet. She couldn't wait till they could go planetside again.

Jayne woke up. 'Christ I gotta pee,' he thought. Kaylee was curled up near his stomach, her hand on his back. Almost on his ass. It wasn't half bad waking up next to her. If only his bed weren't so gorram small and his head didn't feel like it was going to fall off. He kissed her lightly on the forehead. That dumb doctor didn't know what he was missin.

Jayne emerged from his bunk just as Mal passed by. "You seen Kaylee?" the captain asked. "Uhh…umm…no." Jayne lied. He knew the captain would be mad. Jayne actually gave a good gorram about Kaylee. But the captain wouldn't care. Mal didn't trust him enough. At all. Mal walked past Jayne throwing him a funny look.

On his way back from the head, Jayne walked right into Simon's looney tunes sister. Everybody said she was on the mend, but Jayne knew she would always be looney tunes. River walked up and placed her hand right where Kaylee's had been when he woke up.

"Hey, hey, hey hands!" he shouted. "She found the shore!" River said. "She won't drown!" she giggled and skipped off. Jayne gave no more thought to this. She was still looney tunes but that didn't concern him.

He had a girl in his bunk.


	4. Coffee

Chapter Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Not the owner! I didn't make up Firefly! Are you shocked?

"Well this is why I didn't want to be with you anymore, dong ma?" Simon yelled. "You just go with whatever piece of go se man falls into your lap!" "Yeah, like you!" Kaylee yelled back. She was through taking this, before it even really started. "You left me, not the other way 'round so don't you dare complain Simon Tam!"

"But it was only last night! How could you…how could you just screw that ape!" Simon was neither angry nor sad, Kaylee decided. She had just wounded his pride, coming out of Jayne's bunk looking happy, if a little disheveled and hung over. Simon had assumed she had sexed the man, cause that was the sort of core jerk Simon was. He probably expected her to wait around forever. Well if he thought that he was a few coolant valves short of an engine!

At that moment Jayne appeared holding a cup of coffee. He had stopped in the galley to get it for Kaylee to sober up on as Mal was looking for her. He hesitated for only a second, looking at Simon. Then he threw the hot coffee all over him. Simon shrieked, trying to shield his face. Jayne grabbed the man by his collar and hauled him off his feet. "Don't you ever yell at her again or I'll rearrange your face so that even your moonbrained sister will puke when she looks at you!" Jayne pushed the man away. "Now get out of here!"

"I never liked him." Jayne said as soon as Simon had slunk back towards the infirmary.

Mal wasn't surprised to see the doc on the bridge. He was still very protective of his young sister despite the fact that she was on the mend. Simon strode purposefully up to Mal. That was when Mal noticed his face. It was red, burned. And the man stank of coffee.

"What happened to your face?" Mal asked. "Nothing of note." Simon replied briskly. "But I believe that Kaylee is sleeping with one of the crew." Mal laughed. For a core man the doc sure had a strange sense of humor. "Well sure, she's sleepin with you." "No, not anymore. I ended it with her. We just didn't…fit." Simon replied. "None the less I do not trust Jayne Cobb's intentions, even if I'm no longer Kaylee's…significant other."

Mal looked at him incredulously. Jayne? Kaylee, he thought, happened to have more sense that to go and sex that big idiot. Further more, Jayne had never shown interest in Kaylee. The short and short of the doctors statement was that it was impossible.

"Look," he said, "I haven't got time for jealous suspicions. I am avoiding the Alliance, dealing with Zoe's troubles and trying to find work under the radar all and once. Who Kaylee sleeps with is not yours or my business. Now go put something. Wouldn't want to mess up that pretty."

Mal turned away from Simon. Now that he thought about it, wasn't it strange that Jayne had never taken interest in Kaylee? And hadn't Kaylee been eyeing the mercenary every now and then that Mal saw? The doctors retreating footsteps left doubt in his mind. He'd watch out for anything strange.


	5. Mad

Chapter Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I didn't make up Firefly. It was Joss Whedon, I swear!

"Well if the cap is looking for me then I can't stay!" Kaylee didn't want to leave, but she was too angry to stay. The fact that Simon had said those things to her…well she was just fit to scream. She needed to lose herself in Serenity. Maybe she could finally get that gorram binary gear belt working even if she only had the old tranny box for parts.

"Ahw, to hell with the captain! Can't you stay a little while?" Jayne didn't understand why Kaylee wanted to leave so bad. Usually when he fought for a woman she got real hot for him. "Jayne…if you wanna know the truth so bad, I'm just to gorram mad at Simon. And I don't wanna be with you cause I'm mad at Simon. I can't explain it."

Jayne pulled her into him. "So…you do want me right?" Kaylee paused.

"What do you think?" she leaned in to kiss him. Jayne flinched back. "That ain't my deal Kaylee girl, dong ma?" Kaylee just looked down at her boots, nodded and left.

It was easy to slip away from that anger when she was working. Serenity sang when Kaylee poured her heart into her. But Serenity was quiet today. Kaylee's heart was elsewhere.

The door to her shuttle opened. Inara looked up and smiled. Kaylee had come to visit her. "Kaylee! We haven't spoken in a while." Inara studied the mechanics face. Something was troubling her.

"What's bothering you?"

Kaylee looked into 'Nara's eyes and saw what she'd been looking for: somebody she could trust and who loved her. "Oh, 'Nara!" Kaylee said. "Simon said the most horrible things to me and now I can't stop being angry! He ditched me and he never loved me!"

"I thought you were going to leave him." Inara hated to see Kaylee so upset. "Well I was, he just beat me to the punch and now I just feel like something's wrong with me!" With that Kaylee started to cry all over again. Not the huge sobs of the night before, but the kind of strangled tears a tough girl cries when she wants to hide it.

"Ah meimei!" Inara circled her arms around Kaylee. "There is nothing wrong with you."

"Gorramit KAYLEE!"

Mal blundered into the shuttle. "I have been looking for you all morning, now I need you to get down into that engine room and…" Mal trailed off when he saw them. Inara gave him a hard look. Kaylee snuffled and smiled at the captain.

"Don't worry Cap. I put everything together this morning 'fore you found me. The gear belt should hold for at least another three weeks." "Oh." Mal backed out of the room.

Inara turned back to Kaylee. "I'm sure that whatever Simon said wasn't that bad."

"After all he cared about you a great deal." "No he didn't! Kaylee said venomously. "Those things he said outside Jayne's bunk, accusing me like I was some kind of prarie harpy. He never would have said them to you or even Zoe." Kaylee stopped realizing what she had let on.

"Jayne?" Inara said. "You were with him last night and this morning." It was less of a question as a statement. She hadn't known that Kaylee felt anything for Jayne or the other way around for that matter. It was strange for Kaylee to just go off and sleep with anyone.

"'Nara, I didn't have sex with him. Everyone who knows thinks we did. 'Cept for me and Jayne o' course."

"Well then, what happened?" Inara was anxious. What if Jayne had hurt Kaylee or done something to her? She didn't trust the mercenary; Mal had even warned her against him, told her he wasn't to be trusted.

"We got drunk," Kaylee smiled at the memory. "and then we talked. He made me feel better, like I wasn't wrong, the way Simon was makin me out t'be." Kaylee look straight at Inara. "Then we slept in the same bed, the whole night. But nothing happened."

Suddenly Mal's voice came over the com. "Everybody get to the bridge. We have work."


	6. Work

Chapter rating: PG 13 (yes I'll get to the dirty stuff)

Disclaimer: Though I did create GXM, Joss Whedon did the whole Firefly thing. Not me.

Author's note: Can anybody figure out where the name of the town and the planet come from?

Mal's job had come up over the cortex about an hour ago. It was a security job on a planet called Sol 3. "Seems there's a town in need of assistance concerning a band of horse thieves," the captain announced.

"Sol 3?" Jayne asked. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, why? It's just some little out of the way planet." Mal said. "It's my homeworld is all. Haven't been there in years. Don't suppose we could stop off and I could see my ma and my sister?"

Everybody was surprised. Jayne almost never mentioned his family or the world he was from. Given how desolate Sol 3 was, Mal didn't blame him.

River docilely piloted the Firefly through atmo. Mal sat opposite her, staring at the dinosaurs that had out lived his former pilot. Zoe was almost gone as well.  
Jayne tapped Mal on the shoulder. "What did you say the name of the town was?"

"Araki. In the western hemisphere."

"You sure?" Jayne asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I grew up in the west and I ain't never heard of no town called Araki."

A jolt rocked Serenity. River was panicking.

"Trees are being felled, harvested. They burn and bleed! The women crumble like leaves!"

Mal and Jayne grabbed the flailing girl. "I won't land this ship down there!" River looked Jayne right in the eye. "There's blood in their hair. The little one is all gone."

"What? What did you say!" Jayne frantically shook River. "Mal, we have to land, now!" "Jayne this could be an Alliance trap just like Haven! We can't land or they'll kill us all!"

"At least let me wave 'em! Let me see if they're alive!"

Lily Cobb was laying with her throat cut. She'd still been breathing when Serenity waved the house. She gasped like a fish on dry land at the sight of her son's face. Behind her, Jayne could see an Alliance man on the floor, a knitting needle stuck in his eye. At least she'd gone down swinging like he'd known she would. There was no sign of Maddy.

He wanted to go to Kaylee. But he couldn't because Mal would space him in about five seconds. He wanted to kill somebody, but there was only Simon, who could wait for later. Hell, he wanted his ma. But she was dead, with her throat cut and missin a gorram knitting needle. So he did what he could.

"I'll be in my bunk."


	7. Comfort

Ch Rating: R

For: Hello? Sex! Didn't I say I would get to the dirty part? (it's not that good)

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again? It's very late….Fine, Joss Whedon not me and so forth.

Zoe was throwing up again. There was no mistaking it any more. She started to cry. Not because she was alone but because she wasn't anymore. It was as if Wash had come back from the dead.

Mal sat on the bridge, staring at the screen. The woman had been dead for days in real life but on the cortex, she died again and again. He couldn't look away. The image broke up into lines and the lines broke up into little bars of color and light. It was all his fault. All this misery on board. Mal put his face in his hands. In the dark all he could see were lines breaking up into bars of color and light.

Kaylee sat with Serenity. It had been days. She didn't know what to do. So she sat in the engine room, trying to work, but just staring.

"You should go to him."

River stood, ghostlike, in the doorway.

"Me 'n' Simon are over meimei." River looked at Kaylee like she was being stupid on purpose.

"Not Simon. The shore. Home. Go to him. He needs you, but he's afraid."

"River, I-"

"Go. Soon this will pass. But not now."

Kaylee was confused. "What do you mean it'll pass? The way me and Simon passed?"

"New-old people are coming," River whispered conspiratorially. "Wash is coming home. Now go."

River grabbed Kaylee by the shoulders and turned her toward the door. When Kaylee hesitated River gave her a final shove.

Jayne was lying in his bunk on his side. He was crying the only way he ever did: silently, looking like he only had bad allergies. Jayne Cobb didn't kiss on the mouth and he didn't cry. Before his daddy had left for greener pastures and younger women, that's what he'd taught his oldest son.

"Jayne?"

Kaylee. Why was she here?

"Well if you're not going to say anything, neither am I." Kaylee took off her boots and her coverall. She lay down next to Jayne and spooned him into her. It was a funny way to be laying, her bein about a foot shorter than him, but she kept lying there. Kaylee put her fingers into the hair at the base of his neck and stroked his head. It felt strange, being so close to a man but not sexin' him.

They stayed that way for a while. Jayne wanted to rollover so he could look her in the face, but his bunk was too gorram small. And he was a little afraid. But he said it anyway.

"Kaylee girl?"

"Yeah."

"Do you love me?"

"I don't know." Kaylee thought it was the most honest answer she had. "Why? Do you love me?"

"I reckon so. Ain't never loved nobody before, so I'm not sure. I know that I want you and that you make me happy. I guess that's love."

"But why? Simon made it out like there was something wrong with me."

Jayne flipped over so fast Kaylee gorram near fell off the bed. "That doc wouldn't know a good woman if she bit him on the ass. Hell if he left you, he must be sly." Kaylee laughed.

They were both quiet for a few minutes.

"Jayne? Why didn't you kiss me? The morning after Simon left me?"

"My daddy always said never to kiss a woman on the mouth. 'It's how she gets her hooks in ya' that's what he used to say 'fore he skipped planet."

Jayne paused. "And for all I know, I'm terrible at it."

"Well, Jayne," Kaylee said, smiling at him, "I'm willing to find out."

"If there was any woman I'd want to get her hooks in me, it'd be you little Kaylee."

So Kaylee kissed him. She opened her mouth on his, licking under his tongue, around the edges and catching his lower lip in her teeth, biting it gently.

Jayne's hands fell on her chest, going under her shirt, snapping off her bra. Kaylee grabbed his shirt collar and just ripped it in half.

"I can see why the doctor would have a problem with you, ruinin all his good shirts." Jayne laughed. "Oh, you're in trouble now Jayne Cobb." Kaylee said. She took off her shirt and blindfolded him with it.

Then it was dark. Jayne could feel her hands on him, all over him, her breasts pressed against his chest. Gorramit, but this was a tease!

"Do you want me?" Kaylee whispered in his ear.

"Do I even need to answer that?"


	8. Next

Zoe was quiet. She was thinking on her husbands smile, his eyes, that gorram mustache he used to have She laid a hand on her stomach. She was a little weak from all the throwing up and the scent of engine grease was all but overpowering. But she could feel that beautiful child growing inside her belly, like a promise that everything would be alright.

Zoe laughed out loud. She laughed until she couldn't breathe and tears were streaming down her face. She could see Wash as clearly as if he were here now, alive, with his ear to her stomach. "Wait, I think I hear it calling out to me! 'I come in peace. Do not fear me.' Zoe, that's our baby in there, equal parts sarcasm and terse!"

She decided it was time to tell the others.

Kaylee was sleeping. Jayne lay holding her. He wasn't too sure what was going to happen next. He felt like he'd gotten something back, something he'd lost. Book was gone, and Jayne sorely missed him at this moment. The Shepard could have at least helped him with what the hell to do next, let alone what to say to Mal. Women didn't usually mean much to him. Hell, Kaylee was the first women he hadn't paid for in God knew how long.

He pondered that until his head hurt. In the end, Jayne concluded that he did love her and that it had nothing to do with sex. Well, maybe a little bit. Little Kaylee was a wild cat in the sack. And of all the fe yu men in the verse, hell of anybody in the verse, Kaylee had picked him, was with him right now. If that wasn't enough, she was beautiful and happy and good with machines. Most of all, he thought on how she'd come to him, like she'd known he was keening for her. All of that and about a thousand other things.

He'd tell her when she woke up.

Jayne was asleep. Kaylee opened her eyes. He'd hogged the whole gorram blanket, but was hangin off the side of the bed, makin room for her. She smiled, pullin close to him. He mumbled in his sleep, "More tea, thank you." Kaylee laughed and whispered in his ear "Would you like some sugar with that?" "Mm-hmm." Kaylee sighed. How the hell did she get to be so lucky so fast?

"And just think, it never would've happened if Simon had loved me," she said out loud to no one in particular.

Zoe strode purposefully to the bridge. Mal saw her coming and was damned near shocked. Zoe had refused to be on the bridge for some time. His first mate looked at him and said "I need to make an announcement. Get everybody to the galley." As she turned to leave, Zoe paused at Wash's old seat. She put her hand on one of the little plastic dinosaurs and smiled.

Both Kaylee and Jayne were asleep. Neither of them heard Mal's approaching footsteps.


	9. Do The Right Thing

River ran to Inara. "You have to protect them!"

The companion was alarmed. River looked panicked. "Who? What are you talking about?"

"Kaylee. Jayne. You need to distract Mal. He can't know, not yet. Now go!"

Inara didn't hesitate. Mal would be furious with Jayne and do something rash, she had no doubt. But it wasn't Jayne's safety she was concerned with, it was Kaylee. Inara knew that it would kill Kaylee. She hadn't said that she loved him out loud, but the companion wasn't an idiot.

She ran faster.

Mal approached Jayne's bunk hesitantly. If Simon had been telling the truth, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Kaylee was like his little sister, ever since he'd met her screwing Bester in the engine room.

But a woman would have to have less sense then God gave a cactus plant to be with Jayne for any other reason than good pay. He was just paranoid because of that gorram doctor.

Inara reached Mal just as he began to open Jayne's bunk.

"Mal!" she practically shouted.

The captain turned around. "Yes?"

"I've…I've decided that I would rather stay on Serenity and renew my rental of the shuttle." Mal was taken aback. Inara had fenced with him on the issue of going back to Sihnon for some time.

"Well, I, uhh, don't see a problem with that." Mal continued to open the bunk. "And I need….to tell Jayne something. Right now." Inara stepped between Mal and the door. "Was there something I should tell him for you?" Mal stared at her for a moment.

"Yes. Get to the galley. Zoe's got something to say."

Inara stepped down into the bunk as Mal left. She sighed as he turned out of sight.

"'Nara?" Kaylee was awake. She and Jayne had been sleeping. "What's going on?"

"Mal wants everybody in the galley. Now." Inara climbed back up the ladder. "And be more careful next time!" she said.

Kaylee woke up Jayne.

"Hey. We need to go." "Go where?" Jayne grunted. He was still half asleep. He didn't wan them to have to go out there. Hell, he wanted to fool around with Kaylee for a while. She was already putting her clothes on.

As Kaylee pulled on her boots, she wondered if Jayne really loved her. She didn't want to assume anything. Didn't want to end up like Simon again.

Kaylee got up to leave.

"See you in the galley."

She left, wondering what was the right thing to do.


	10. Mine

Simon waited in the hall. He had seen Inara distracting the captain. He knew Kaylee was in there. Part of him wanted to just walk away. She seemed so happy. 'Happy without me,' he thought. He pushed the thought away. He was only there because Kaylee was doing something stupid without realizing it. That was the reason. The only reason.

Kaylee barely had time to react. Simon grabbed her arm as soon as she stepped off the ladder. Simon look furious. "You shouldn't be with him! You just played right into it didn't you? He's just taking advantage of you and you're stupid enough to go back! That idiot isn't anywhere near good enough for you!"

Kaylee had had it up to here with this. And he'd gone and shot his mouth off about Jayne. Gorramit Kaylee Frye was not one to stand by and let someone insult her man. 'That's right,' she thought. 'He is my man. Which I should make totally clear right now.'

"Simon Tam, don't you touch me!" Kaylee threw off his hand. "And don't you say a gorram thing about Jayne! Or I'll kill you! You gave up on me and now he's my man. So don't think you're only dealing with him."

At first when she'd left, Jayne was confused. Maybe it had only been sex to Kaylee. After all, he didn't know for certain how she felt. He pulled on his clothes, thinking on how he would ask her, when he heard shouting. It was Kaylee.

"-don't you say a gorram thing about Jayne! You gave me up and now he's my man."

That was all Jayne needed to hear. Simon was hasseling Kaylee. He sprang the hatch.

Simon grabbed Kaylee's wrist. "Look, I care what happens if-"

Kaylee cut him off by punching him in the nose. She usually didn't get so mad and haul off like that, but she was just sick of him. Simon grabbed his face. Behind her, Jayne barked out a laugh.

"What the hell is going on?" Mal was standing in front of the engine room looking at all of them disbelievingly.


	11. Tell Me Straight

Jayne sat next to Kaylee in the galley. Zoe was smiling at them all. "I got something to tell all of ya." She paused. "I'm pregnant."

Kaylee and Inara burst into applause. River smiled beneficently, having known all along. Mal sat brooding. Kaylee claimed she'd hit Simon after he'd manhandled her for no reason. But Jayne had been right there and Simon had renewed his accusations of the mercenary taking advantage of little Kaylee. It did lend credibility to his suspicions.

"Well captain, ain't you going to congratulate me?"

"Hmm? Of course."

Zoe shook her head at the captain, smiling. Mal was looking at Jayne and Kaylee. Kaylee gave Jayne a look, slipped her hand into his. Then she got up, kissed Zoe on the cheek and moved to leave. Mal grabbed the little mechanics hand before she left. "Hey xiao mei mei. We haven't talked in a while. You wanna come see me on the bridge later." It wasn't a question. Kaylee smiled at Mal, a little worried. "Sure. See you then cap."

Kaylee was in the engine room. The door slid open. "Simon, if you're looking for an apology, you came to the wrong place!" she called out from under the huge engine block.

"Sorry, wrong man." It was Jayne.

Kaylee stopped working and practically ran to him. "Kaylee, I –" She had her mouth on his before he could start. Jayne was starting to enjoy this kissing business. Kaylee always tasted like strawberries. It was the damnedest thing. Kaylee had shimmied he legs up around Jayne's hips. Just being this close to Serenity's heart got her so hot she was fixin to tear up another one of his shirts.

"Kaylee…I gotta tell you something." Jayne could hardly breathe. He wanted to throw her down on the floor and sex her right there, but what he had to say was too gorram important.

Kaylee looked at him. "You're not gonna leave me are you?"

Jayne almost laughed until he realized she was serious. She looked up at him expectantly. "Well, I know I pretty much said it last night…I love you, Kaylee." Jayne said sheepishly. Kaylee laughed, relieved. "I was afraid. I thought…it doesn't matter."

Jayne held her. "I needed to tell you. In case you didn't know. Cause I heard you this morning. You said that I was your man. I wanted you to know that you're my girl."

"Yeah?" Kaylee pushed him to the floor. "Well, now I'm gonna have to prove it." She straddled him on the floor, snapping off her coverall. Before she could even get her shirt off, he stood up, holding her legs up around him, pushing into her against the engine casing.

Kaylee was so hot from all of it, the engine, Jayne saying that she was his girl, punching Simon, even the possibility of getting caught that she came about three times.


	12. Bastard

Kaylee sat with Mal on the bridge. Mal was uneasy. He got ready to confront Kaylee. He'd been sweating this all day. They'd finally left space around Sol 3 but the images of Jayne's mother and the dead Alliance soldier still floated through his head. 'Definitely not my finest hour,' he thought.

"I saw you and Jayne together today." He was lying in the hope that if it was true, she would confess right then and there thinking he knew everything already. He felt like a real go se bastard.

Kaylee drew a sharp breath. She was confused and startled. "Do you mean in the galley when Zoe told us?" she asked slyly. There was no way he could have seen them in the engine room. Jayne had sexed her right up against the closed door.

"No. I mean after." Mal looked down, ashamed. Kaylee saw his face and thought she was caught. He'd seen her with Jayne after all, however the hell that had happened.

"Oh," she said.

Mal wanted her to deny it. When she didn't he wasn't disappointed, but he was furious. "Gorramit Kaylee! I thought you had more brains then to do something this stupid!" Kaylee looked at Mal, near tears.

"Mal! Don't talk to her that way! You don't know anything about the two of them!" Inara's voice came from the door. "I know enough to know that Jayne Cobb will never love anyone as much as he loves himself! You knew about this didn't you? I've got half a mind to throw you off my ship! All three of you!"

"Mal don't you think you're over reacting to this?" the companion said coolly, betraying no fear or sadness. "You didn't say anything about this to me! Neither of you! That's just as bad as lying!" Mal looked angry and pained when he looked at Inara. "You lied to me." Inara looked away.

"He loves me."

Both of them turned to Kaylee. She was standing looking at the floor. Tears slid down her face. "He loves me and I love him. And I'll leave," she looked up into Mal's face. He realized she was just as angry as he was. "But don't you say anything about him, Cap. That's my man you're talking about. Even if he is a selfish bastard, I love him." With that, Kaylee left.

Simon walked right into Kaylee as she stormed off the bridge. He'd been looking for her and wanted to apologize for being such a bastard. "Kaylee! I want to talk to you!" "I don't want to hear your go se opinion right now Simon. Go away!" "Kaylee wait! I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Kaylee turned to look at him. "Why would you apologize to me?"

Simon paused. "Because, I've been a real bastard about everything. I was…selfish and…I was stupid. I'm sorry that I was so…cruel." Kaylee laughed incredulously. "That's great. But you already ruined everything. That was real cute telling the captain about me and Jayne. I was going to tell him soon too. Now we might get thrown off Serenity." So angry at the thought, Kaylee began to cry again and she whirled around looking for Jayne.

Simon was taken aback. Thrown off? He'd have to do something.

Jayne was lifting on the deck when Kaylee found him. She sat down on the bench and didn't say anything. "Hey darlin. Wanna fool around?" Jayne said, smiling.

Kaylee laughed. She looked up at him. "Whoa, what happened? Was it Simon? Cause I'll kill that…" Kaylee shook her head.

"It's the captain." Kaylee whispered. "He's going to throw us off. Inara too. For keeping it from him." Jayne was shocked. How had Mal found out? It was down right unsettling that he'd known. Then it dawned on him. Simon. That fe yu doctor! Couldn't keep anything to himself.

At that moment, River and Simon stepped onto the deck. Simon walked up to Kaylee and Jayne. "Well, you're both staying!"  
Kaylee looked at him, shocked. "What?"

"I told Mal that River and I would leave if he kicked you off." "What about Inara?" Kaylee asked. "I'm sure that..ah..they'll work something out." Simon said.

Slightly more suspicious Jayne asked "Why?"

"Well, just proving I'm not a bastard is all."


End file.
